Review: “Hyperbole and a Half” by Allie Brosh

My husband kept asking me one day if I knew who Allie Brosh was, but I kept telling him I didn’t know and wondered why he continued to ask. Well, I had heard of “Hyperbole and a Half” but I didn’t know it was such a widely popular web comic series. He mentioned seeing her on an MTG documentary and also on Will Wheaton’s Tabletop videos on YouTube so I thought I’d go ahead and look Brosh up. Alas! When I saw she had a book out, I thought, “Yes! I will get it and read it and it will be hilarious!”

And it is, guys. It really is.

Title: Hyperbole and a Half
Author: Allie Brosh
Release date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Touchstone (Simon & Schuster)
Length: 369 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Non-fiction, humor, graphic novel, comics
Synopsis: (from Goodreads) “Touching, absurd, and darkly comic, Allie Brosh’s highly anticipated book Hyperbole and a Half showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with deceptively simple illustrations. 

This full-color, beautifully illustrated edition features more than fifty percent new content, with ten never-before-seen essays and one wholly revised and expanded piece as well as classics from the website like, “The God of Cake,” “Dogs Don’t Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving,” and her astonishing, “Adventures in Depression,” and “Depression Part Two,” which have been hailed as some of the most insightful meditations on the disease ever written.”

My rating: 4/5 stars

This was such a blast to read.

I finally know where my favorite meme comes from and it’s the best feeling ever. 🙂

This book is brilliant. Why have I not read it earlier? Brosh is funny, sarcastic, but she’s honest and that’s what I like. She confronts her depression and anxiety head on, detailing the definitely hyperbolic thoughts that go through her mind as she muddles her way through her mental illness and life as a human being. It’s raw and she doesn’t hold back any punches.

As someone who has struggled with depression, I found it incredibly relatable. This is one of the few books that has made me laugh out loud. I took pictures of so many pages in this book and sent them to my husband, he probably thought I was crazy. All the parts where Brosh talks about her dogs are simply the best. I’m pretty sure her “simple” dog and mine are the same animal in different bodies.

If you need a laugh, read this. Even if you don’t, read this. You won’t be disappointed.

Brosh is releasing another book in October of this year and I look forward to reading it since she’s disappeared from a lot of social media and her own comics over the past few years.